Current processing systems provide data protection. For example, BITLOCKER™ Drive Encryption (also referred to as BITLOCKER™), a MICROSOFT® CORPORATION product, is a data protection feature available with various WINDOWS® operating systems. BITLOCKER™ prevents a user who boots another operating system or runs a software hacking tool from defeating file or system protections or performing offline viewing of the files stored on the protected drive. BITLOCKER™ protects user data and ensures that a processor running a WINDOWS® operating system (e.g., WINDOWS® VISTA) has not been tampered with while the system was offline.
BITLOCKER™ can lock the normal boot process until the user supplies a PIN, or inserts a USB flash drive that contains keying material. For example, a USB flash device can be inserted into the processing system prior to the boot process. During the boot process, the USB flash device will be recognized and keying material can be accessed therefrom. Current processing systems, however, do not recognize, during the boot process, devices such as smart cards and CCID (Integrated Circuit(s) Cards Interface Device) smart cards for this purpose.